I am a proud speaker of African American English, which is simply a variety of Standard American English. This dialect varies across regions but theirs rules and, that’s why it is separate from the standard. This isn’t the only variety, but how do you explain varieties when there’s not exactly a set standard?
First things first, there’s some things you should know. Language is socially constructed, meaning. Standard language ideology is a set of beliefs that supports the idea that there is a standard that standard is the dominant dialect.
The dominant dialect is English right? Not necessarily. The idea that there is a Standard English Variety is not something we can observe but we can describe it. It’s a hypothetical language spoken and written by someone with no accent (which is impossible). The dialect that your neighbor considers standard is different than the one you consider standard – that’s because there’s no set standard. But we can agree that written English is what can be assumed to be the SAE (think the way you read allowed from a book). But there are varieties. And across varieties meanings get construed, stereotypes are created and understanding of one another is ultimately lost.
Furthermore, we can’t escape speaking in an accent (and don’t even say you that you don’t have an accent because everyone does!). Language is how we identify with our culture, our social group, and our families. How do you tell someone to stop being him or her self? Or to remove their identity from their language… Simple, you can’t and you shouldn’t want to.
Like I said, the variety of English I speak is AAE. When I speak in this dialect (because I can also speak SAE as we are educated to do so in the states) I’m acting in what is called “identity performance”. Which means I’m taking a stance purposefully, using language, that tells whoever I am communicating with what culture I identify with. Under certain circumstances, I code switch – I’ll speak AAE mostly around my peers and family but SAE to professors, advisors and employers. Think like Iggy Azalea, who is in fact Australian and has an Australian accent, she uses AAE in her music to identify herself with the AAE speakers.
Now that that is clarified, I want to disclose now how varieties are stereotyped. Individuals that speak AAE are considered uneducated because linguistic features within our language such as double negatives and habitual be.
For example:
Habitual Be – AAE = He be studying. SAE = He is usually always studying.
Double negative – AAE = He don’t got no car. SAE = He doesn’t have a car.
These features are not made up or uneducated. There’s a system. AAE speakers follow this system and we understand one another (side note: not everyone who speaks AAE is in fact of African decent). Because this is not considered the standard and not everyone can understand it, speakers are tagged as uneducated and of low economic status. AAE is not the only variety that is stereotyped because it strays from the standard, there are many that are subject to unfair criticism such as Appalachian English.
I hope that this has had an impact on your perspective of accents and language varieties! My viewpoint of the world has indeed changed after considering all of this information. Especially the way I view my culture and the cultures of others. Accents are a part of our identities and they should be em